resume examples skills section beginners

How to List Skills on a Resume (Real Skill Examples)

This essential resume writing article is about how to list skills on a resume. For more resume writing help, visit our job seeker resource center .

EdgeWater Pharmacy just posted an opening for a Sales Associate right down the street from your home. You think you are the perfect fit for the job, so you submit your resume, but so do 30 other candidates.

Do you know who is going to get called in for an interview? 

The job seeker who looks like they have the most relevant skills for the job.

Make sure you’re getting the callback for an interview from a hiring manager by reading how to list your skills on a resume.

This essential job seekers’ guide will walk you through how to add the skills a hiring manager wants to see on your resume, along with 50+ real resume examples of skills you can use.

This article on how to include key skills on a resume covers:

• What are professional skills?
• Why are skills important on resumes?
• Different types of skills for job seekers
• Where and how to incorporate skills on a job application
• Top 50+ skills hiring managers want to see on your resume
• Fastest ways to gain new skills to get hired

What Are Skills? Why Are Skills Important?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a skill is:

“the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance”

“a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability”

When it comes to job hunting, your skills are what set you apart. Every human on earth has a set of skills that is unique to them. Likewise, every professional position has a unique set of skills that is required for performing the job.

Finding the perfect alignment between these two ideas is the key goal for every hiring manager.

If a hiring manager finds someone that already possesses the skills needed for their job, they won’t have to spend so much time and money on training. It also means that their new employee will be able to pull their own weight more quickly, providing a quicker return on their hiring investment.

But how do hiring managers know who has what it takes to perform well on the job?

The first and most important place hiring managers look is at your resume. On average, a hiring manager spends 6 seconds reviewing a resume and during that time they are scanning the pages to see if the skills required for the job jump out at them.

If they find what they are looking for, you get called in for an interview. If they don’t quickly see what they are looking for, your resume will most likely be discarded.

As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to make sure you know what skills hiring managers are looking for.

Once you identify those skills, it is also your responsibility to make sure those relevant skills are incorporated into your resume in a way that stands out.

If you do these two things accurately, you will be the one getting called in for an interview and will be that much closer to landing a new job.

Types of Professional Skills (Real Resume Examples)

Skills can be broken down into four main categories:

• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Transferable skills
• Job-related skills.

Before you start writing your own list of skills, let’s go through each of these skill categories to see what the difference between them is.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Hard skills are specific, teachable, and tangible. They can be measured and tested using assignments and assessments. Hard skills are learned, either through on-the-job training or through school, rather than coming naturally.

Examples of hard skills for a resume:

Soft skills are intangible and are harder to measure. They are personality traits and interpersonal skills that come naturally to humans, rather than being learned through school.

People are born with soft skills. These soft skills grow and develop over time from your upbringing, education, and experiences.   

Examples of soft skills:

Contrary to popular belief, hiring managers often care more about soft skills than hard skills, though both hard and soft skills contribute to your appeal as a candidate.

Hard skills, such as computer programming or accounting, can be taught using a combination of curriculum and hands-on practice. Whereas soft skills, such as a positive attitude or punctuality, are harder to teach.

Regardless of your background, hiring managers are usually flexible with teaching you the hard skills needed for their job, as long as you already have the right attitude along with the aptitude to learn.

Transferable Skills vs Job-Related Skills

Transferable skills can be carried with you from one job to the other. These skills can be a hard skill or soft skill, as long as they can be used in any type of role, regardless of the industry, company, or position.

Examples of transferable skills:

Job-related skills are usually always hard skills.  These job-related skills are specific to a certain type of role or position.

Examples of job-related skills:

How And Where To List Skills On Your Resume

Skills should be included throughout your resume, rather than confined to one area.

While scanning your resume, hiring managers will be looking over each resume section, starting with the top. Because of how people read resumes, you need to make sure they see your skills immediately.

Guarantee hiring managers will see your skills by listing them in four key areas of your resume:

• Resume header
• Professional summary
• Summary of skills
• Work Experience section

If you are writing a resume from scratch, try using this free and easy-to-use resume builder from Resume.com. The sections and formatting are already created for you, so all you need to worry about is filling in the blanks to finish a free printable resume.

1. Resume Header

At the top of your resume, directly below your name, write your job title along with the three most relevant skills you have as a candidate.

This is the first section hiring managers will be reading, so it is important to draw their attention using bold and large lettering.

If you’re using this resume builder , the ‘ Blue Skies ’, ‘ Three Blocks Digital ’, and ‘ van Deco ’ resume templates already have a header section included, which will make finishing your resume easier.

When writing your header, it is crucial that you customize the job title and skills to each job you’re applying for. Your job application needs to be consistent – you can read more about consistency in this article .

For example, if you write Java Developer in your resume header, but are applying for a .NET Developer position, a huge red flag will go up for the hiring manager.

When writing your top three skills in your header, make sure they align with the required skills listed in the job posting.

If you’re applying for a job at a large company or corporation, or you’re applying through a job board, it’s helpful to keep applicant tracking systems (ATS) in mind. Make sure your resume makes it past ATS software by listing your skills using the same wording as the job posting.  

Example of skills in the resume header: 

2. Professional Summary

Below your header and contact information, you will have a professional summary section. A professional summary used to be called an ‘objective’, but the modern resume writing approach is to replace your objective with a professional summary section.

Your professional summary should give an overview of your background, years of experience, and the top skills that set you apart. The skills in your professional summary should be written in sentence form, rather than listed out.

If using the resume builder , the ‘ My Employment ’, ‘ Apple Green ’, and ‘ Side Panel ’ resume templates have professional summary sections that are sure to draw attention to your most relevant skills.

Example of skills in the professional summary of a resume:

3. Summary of Skills

Below your professional summary, include a ‘summary of skills’ section. Alternative titles for this section could be ‘core competencies’, ‘key skills’, ‘professional skills’, or ‘relevant skills’.

If you have less than 10 skills, you can list them out in columns. 

Summary of skills resume example (less than 10 professional skills) :

Summary of skills resume example (more than 10 professional skills) :

For your skills section, your skills should be listed, rather than written out in sentence form. This formatting choice helps hiring managers to pick out the key words quickly, which they can read about in more detail in the experience section after.

4. Experience Section

The ‘experience’ section usually comes after your summary of skills on a resume. Depending on your background, this could also be called ‘professional experience’, ‘work experience’, or ‘relevant experience’.

Your experience section is the perfect place to back your skills up with real-life examples of when you have used your skills, in addition to the results you have achieved.

When writing your experience section, give specific details about where, when, and with whom you have used your skills. When possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements.

Example of how to list skills in the experience section of a resume:

How to List Skills On A Resume – Finding Relevant Skills For You

To figure out what skills you should include on your resume, follow these three simple steps.

Step #1: Create a master list of skills

Go through each category and create a master list of the skills in your toolbox. Don’t be afraid to list things that seem obvious, like computer skills or customer service.

Although they might seem like a given in your profession, many hiring managers still want to see these skills listed.

Never include skills that you are no longer familiar with. If you write a skill on your resume, hiring managers will be expecting that you can deliver on that activity.

If you are worried that a hiring manager will over or underestimate your level of proficiency, feel free to write ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’, or ‘proficient’ next to each skill listed.

Step #2: Figure out the skills needed for the job

When applying for jobs, it is important to identify the set of skills that are needed. Picking out the needed skills will help you determine if you are a good fit for the role. It will also help you tailor your resume skills to the specific job you are applying for.

There are two main ways to determine the skills needed for a job.

The first is to dissect job descriptions and job postings that are posted on career websites and job boards. To do this, go through a job description and highlight each quality that describes the candidate the company is looking for.

For example, here is a job posting for a cashier position: 

Then create a list of all the qualities described, making sure to write each skill using the same wording that is used in the job posting.

The second way to figure out what skills are needed for a job is to search for people on LinkedIn who are already performing the role.

By searching for a certain job title in the search bar, you can find a list of professionals who are already in that job and then search through their profile to see what skills they have listed, both in their summary and experience sections.

Step #3: Match your master list with the skills needed for a job

The skills you write on your resume should be whatever overlaps between your master list and the list of skills you created from researching jobs.

By using this technique, you will be making sure that the skills you have listed on your resume are relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

A general rule of thumb is to never include skills that aren’t important for the job you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for a project manager position, there is no need to list that you know yoga or CPR.

Top 50+ Skills Hiring Managers Look For On Resumes

A lot of research has been done as to what hiring managers look for on a resume. Many of the skills they seek are job-specific, while others are transferable.

To increase your chances of getting called in for an interview, include these top skills throughout your resume.

These professional skills are divided by category to help you find the skills that are relevant to you.

Soft Skills

Basic computer skills, customer service, project management, art & design, human resources, fastest ways to obtain new skills.

Are you looking for your first job? Are you missing some of the required skills on a job posting? If so, don’t worry. There are a range of ways for you to obtain the needed skills quickly.

If you are in need of a hard skill, this task is much easier. Hard skills are learned, so you can typically find an online resource, school, or curriculum to pick up the needed skills.

If you don’t have enough time to attend class in person, there are a number of online learning platforms with courses that you can take online, in your spare time. Some examples of popular eLearning platforms include Lynda, Udemy, and Skillshare.

Learning soft skills are a little trickier. These interpersonal and personality traits are hardwired into humans, so the only way to get better at them is to practice, practice, practice.

If you can’t practice soft skills while on a job, try to find some day-to-day activities that you can practice these skills during.

For example, if you need to work on punctuality, set a goal to arrive 5 minutes early wherever you need to be, no matter if it is for class or for coffee. Or if you need to work on your professionalism, pick up a volunteer job based in a professional, office setting.

More Skill-Related Articles For Resume Writing:

• How To List Hard Skills On A Resume (50+ Technical Skill Examples)
• How to List Computer Skills on a Resume (50+ Computer Skill Examples)

Skills to include in a Resume for Beginners & Freshers [80+ examples]

Skills (soft as well as hard) are your abilities and core-competencies that help you perform a particular job. It is our core skill set that makes you eligible for a particular role.

Skills (soft as well as hard) are your abilities and core competencies that help you perform a particular job. It is our core skill set that makes you eligible for a particular role.

A resume contains various sections that include a summary, experience, education, headline, contact details, and more. Out of these, your education, resume headline, summary, and experience section, work in tandem to put forth your strengths and expertise, also known as your skills.  

In this blog, you will learn about

• Where and how to use skills in your Resume?

What skills do you need in your Resume?

• What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

How to create a dedicated skills section?

Tips to create an effective skills section.

• List of high demand soft skills
• List of hard skills required for most common jobs

Where and How to use skills in your Resume?

Your entire resume is built with a purpose to convey your strengths to the recruiter, with the larger objective of getting hired. Good places to convey your skills are

• Dedicated skills section

Use of skills in Summary

A summary is placed at the top. An insightful summary will definitely portray your strengths to the reader.

Using summary to display skills is a good practice, if

• You are a senior professional
• You have achievements that will corroborate the skills  mentioned in the summary
• Your job is very specific and you can easily put your strengths in a few words.

Why this works:

• Prepares the recruiter for what is to follow
• A good place to communicate both transferable and non-transferable skills

An example:

Check the full resume here

Use of skills in the experience section

When you demonstrate what you did during particular employment, you are also talking about the skills you used to demonstrate it.

It is a good idea to demonstrate your competencies in the experience section if:

• You have achievements and quantifiable information to support your abilities
• The resume does not look very worded and still have required keywords
• Adds value to the section

Use of Skills in the Education section

Apart from the traditional university education, you also mention other profile-building courses, certifications, and licensures that help you find better pursuits.

The education section is important for both entry-level and experienced professionals:

• Beginner workforce: Your education is the only way you have developed your skills, especially if you have pursued a professional degree
• Experienced Professionals: Certifications and courses show your intent and upskilling. They also highlight that you are willing to take up newer roles that require more skills than you already possess

A dedicated skills section

The requirement of this section and what it does is self-explanatory.

• It helps with ATS optimization
• Gives the reader an overview of your abilities
• Most compressive yet readable section of the Resume

We see resumes with a lot of skills and attributes mentioned.

A lot of them are related to communication and personality type, others are specific and cannot be transferred to another job, and yet another set of skills are limited to technical knowledge.

Broadly, competencies or skills can be classified into:

• Soft Skills or Transferable Skills
• Hard Skills or Functional Skills
• Technical or Computer Skills

Soft Skills

Soft skills, also called transferable skills are characteristics that influence how you operate, both independently and together, in a workspace. Many employers, for example, value effective communication as a critical soft talent. Dependability, successful teamwork, and active listening are some of the others.

Organizations look for employees that have strong transferable skills apart from the core skill set required for the job.

• People with a strong work ethic are more productive
• Collaboration and communication facilitate smooth operations
• Positive approach and initiative-taking mindset support growth

Hard Skills

Hard skills are abilities that enable you to carry out specific activities. You acquire and develop hard skills through formal education, apprenticeships or internships, certification programs, and on-the-job training

Technical Skills

Knowing how to use a computer is required, but your level of knowledge is also critical.

Are you capable of programming a computer, performing back-end technical labor, or being certified in a variety of programs that businesses desire and want their staff to understand?

What is the difference between Soft Skills and Hard Skills?

Soft skills are required to establish a happy and effective work environment, whereas hard skills are required to properly accomplish technical tasks in a job.

The primary distinction between hard and soft skills is how they are acquired and applied in the workplace.

Education or specialized training are frequently used to acquire hard skills. They include skills such as how to operate a specific machine, software, or tool.

Soft skills are typically thought of as personality attributes that you have spent your entire life honing. They come in handy when you're trying to organize your time, communicate with others, or face a difficult circumstance for the first time.

To put it another way, hard skills are your technical expertise, and soft skills are your general working practices

Businesses frequently seek candidates who have demonstrated soft and hard talents.

Some employers may prefer candidates with a stronger set of soft skills over candidates with a strong set of hard talents, as soft skills can be more difficult to develop.

Do the following steps to create a strong skillset

Step1: Know your strengths

The first step is to identify the skills you already have. While doing this, focus on your hard skills only.

For instance, a history professor will have strong knowledge of the subject. They will also have abilities in handling students, research, lecture delivery among other skills.

Step 2: Check job requirements

An ideal skill section is that which not only represents the candidate but also those what the recruiter is seeking.

Look at your target job description and see what keywords are mentioned in the resume

Focus more on hard or job-related skills. Do not miss the soft skills too if they are the topmost priority in your job profile.

Step 3: Create a Skills Section

Use the above two steps to create a skills section.

With the above steps, you can create a stellar skills section. The below tips will make our resume stand apart in a crowded market:

Do not use more than 8-10 skills:

You will find a lot of keywords in your target job’s description.

You already have a broad skill set.

Recruiters prefer experts more than generalists.

Be sure of the exact area you want to work, filter your competencies, and put the most relevant and high-demand ones in your resume. Overcrowding will confuse the reader as well the ATS.  

Maintain Balance:

It is a good idea to maintain a balance between transferable and non-transferable skills.

If you are writing 10 skills, write 6-7 job skills and 3-4 soft skills or interpersonal abilities.

Different sections for Technical Skills:

If yours is a non-technical profile, do not write about the software or computer knowledge in the skills section. It takes the space that you could judiciously use for talking about the more important abilities and competencies.

Write about your computer knowledge in a summary in a single sentence.

For IT people and engineers, whose work is based on the usage of multiple programs, a different technical skills section is a must.

List of High Demand Soft Skills

The list of soft skills that can be mentioned in your resume is endless. Here are some of the most in-demand skills.  

Critical thinking

One of the most valuable talents you can contribute to any workplace is critical thinking (and everyday life). It entails deducing the root cause of a problem and developing a set of viable solutions using logic and reason.

• Communication

It is one of the most underrated and most highly demanded skills in today’s day and age. No organization can sustain itself if there is no communication mechanism.

Communication not only means the ability to speak clearly and fluently, it entails being able to convey your thoughts to your team members, seniors, and customers alike. Some important aspects of communication include:

• Friendliness
• Presentation
• Listening skills
• Mutual Respect
• Cohesion and Clarity

These skills have become more important in today’s day and age of remote work, where the only way to establish a connection is through online communication.

Telemarketer resume skill set with communication skills

Time Management

This skill is expected from all employees without saying. It is a prerequisite for growth in the professional space.

In today’s dynamic work culture, one cannot stay in the race for longer with poor time management.

Not being able to complete the assigned tasks on time leads to unrest in both personal and professional space.

Following traits differentiate people with good time management skills:

• Deadline driven

A Branch Banking Professional’s resume summary talking about time management skills.

Check Full Resume here

Employers value effective leadership skills regardless of the position you're applying for.

Leadership is the ability to manage, train, delegate, and develop successful teams or individuals.

Knowing how to efficiently transfer responsibilities to promote the company's performance is a sign of leadership ability. It's not as simple as telling them what to do.

Although leadership is a skill that develops over time, some highly sought after qualities of a leader include

• Strategic thinking
• Being goal-oriented
• Problem Solving
• Planning and Roadmapping
• Decision making
• Relationship Building
• Cultural intelligence
• Authenticity
• Measured risk-taking

A customer Service Resume demonstrating leadership abilities

Simply put, teamwork is the ability to function collaboratively.

Even individual contributors need to work with other departments at some point in their careers. For a firm to run properly, you must work well with your managers and coworkers. All successful projects are built on strong teamwork.

A team player will frequently show:

• Cooperation
• Conflict resolution
• Adaptability
• Flexibility
• Open-Mindedness
• Inclusivity

The skillset of a fundraiser resume demonstrating teamwork abilities

  Check the full resume here

• Problem-Solving

Problem-solving entails dealing with the unexpected with professionalism and determining the best course of action.

Companies want to hire individuals who can manage challenging situations with patience and a strategy, whether it's a minor annoyance or a catastrophic event.

Recruiters don't want employees who will crumble under pressure or disregard problems; instead, they want people who will solve them.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Stress Management
• Persistence
• Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Presence of mind

In the workplace, creativity entails using your unique perspective to produce your best work.

Creative thinking breeds improvement and innovation. Given that this is the path most businesses aim to go, it's no surprise that creativity is a marketable skill for job seekers. While you may not consider yourself to be naturally creative, it is a talent that we all possess.

Creativity comes in the following form:

• Spontaneity
• Experimentation
• Imagination
• Observation
• Storytelling
• Out of the box thinking

A News Presenter’s Resume summary demonstrating creativity

Integrity in the job entails following employee ethics, exercising sound judgment, and being dependable at all times.

Integrity is another of those soft skills that may be applied outside of the workplace. On the surface, an employee with integrity appears to be trustworthy. Integrity, on the other hand, is more than that.

The following are some examples of workplace integrity:

• Timely communication
• Professionalism
• Transparency

List of  Hard skills for common jobs

Almost all organizations across all industries have an HR department. Human Resource Professionals manage the hiring, training, onboarding of employees. They are also responsible for resolving employee conflicts if any, processing salaries, and creating a healthy workplace environment

Here are the top skills you can mention in your CV if you are an HR Professional or aspiring to be one:

• Recruitment
• Compensation & Benefits Planning
• Training and Development
• Interviewing
• Talent Acquisition
• Job Posting
• Job Description Writing
• People Management
• Attrition Control
• Exit Interviews
• Employee Engagement
• Conflict Resolution
• Onboarding and orientation

Check HR resumes here

Sales Skills

Simply put, sales is the process of selling goods or services with a view to generate income. In the private sector, all organizations hire sales professionals to ensure maximum and continuous revenue.

Sales Professionals possess the following skills

• Product Demonstrations
• Channel sales
• Revenue Generation
• Customer Acquisition & Retention
• Lead Qualification
• Upselling and Cross-Selling
• Key Account Management
• Lead Prospecting
• Customer Needs Analysis
• Contract Negotiation
• Client Nurturing
• Optimizing Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
• Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
• Reducing Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Closing Sales & Signing Contracts
• Client Relationship Management
• Research & Analysis

Check Sales Resumes Here

Marketing Skills

Marketing is the process of intentionally stimulating demand for and purchases of goods and services.

For a long time, marketing has been a growing business, and the internet has effectively turned the entire industry upside down and flooded it with marketing employment.

High demand marketing skills include:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing
• Google Analytics
• AdWords, Facebook paid ads
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Marketing Research
• Email and Marketing Automation
• Social Media Integration
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Website Management
• Market Analysis
• Market Penetration
• Competitor Analysis
• Data-driven Marketing
• Campaign Management
• Content Creation
• Omnichannel Communication

Check marketing resumes here

Accounting Skills

Accounting — the process of recording, assessing, and communicating financial transactions — helps individuals and organizations understand their financial health.

Accounting and math-related skills are required in a wide range of jobs. You'll need to know basic math and have some accounting hard skills on your resume whether you're in an office tallying up paychecks or out on the road making sales and offering discounts.

• Bookkeeping
• General Ledger Preparation
• Monthly Closing
• Reconciliations
• Annual Closing
• Payroll Processing
• Billing and Invoicing
• Payments Processing
• Banking Operations
• Financial Statement Preparation
• Excel (Advanced) Ability
• Data analysis and Modeling

Check Accounting Resumes here

Customer Service Skills

Good customer service typically means providing timely, attentive, upbeat service to a customer, and making sure their needs are met in a manner that reflects positively on the company or business.

Customer Service is one of those domains where soft skills overlap hard skills. If you are a beginner, you would require strong communication and perseverance. Knowledge of a CRM is an added benefit.

The following are some skills required for a customer service role:

• Customer Retention
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Ensuring Customer Satisfaction
• Attention to Detail
• Sales Channel Development
• Active Listening Skills
• Customer Experience Enhancement
• Building Customer Loyalty
• Positive Attitude
• Bilingual Customer Support
• Escalation Management
• Complaint Resolution
• Product Knowledge
• Cross-Selling / Up-Selling
• Service-Based Selling / Telesales

Check Customer Service Resumes here

Administration Skills

Administration includes a set of daily activities required to run an organization or facility. Separate admin departments are only set up in big organizations where there is a clear demarcation of roles and departments

As a successful admin professional, you are expected to have some of the following skills.

• Office Coordination
• Greeting and Welcoming Visitors
• Correspondence Handling
• Equipment Maintenance
• Recordkeeping
• Vendor Coordination
• Event Coordination
• Ordering Office Supplies
• Calendar Management
• Meeting Planning
• Travel Arrangements
• Email Management
• Database Management
• Expense reports Preparation

Check Administration Resumes here

Teaching Skills

Teachers or educators are employed in government and private sectors alike with a clear focus on imparting knowledge to and personality development of students.

Some common abilities of teachers include:

• Classroom Management
• Instruction Design
• Instruction Delivery
• Attendance Management
• Student Development
• Test Grading
• Conducting Examination
• Subject Matter Expertise

Check Teaching Resumes here

The following are some of the most in-demand hard skills across industries:

Like hard skills, these are a specific set of skills required for a particular job. They are industry-specific and require training and education. Professionals with these skills perform a specific task, are highly in demand and are offered better compensation.

Engineering and the sciences are examples of technical hard skills. These positions usually require highly specialized expertise, and employees will need training in some of the following areas:

• Cloud Computing
• HTML, CSS, Javascript, and other coding languages
• Artificial intelligence
• Python Programming
• Prototyping
• STEM skills
• CRM platforms

A lot of technical skills and jobs require capabilities in analytics and data management.

Knowing how to effectively and appropriately interpret data is more vital than ever before, and professionals with these talents are in high demand. If you have the following hard skills, make sure to highlight them:

• Data Mining
• Data Engineering
• Data Presentation
• Analytical Reasoning
• Diagnostics

The list is endless, however, these are some examples to give you an insight.

To conclude, an ideal resume should talk about both soft skills and hard skills.

• Follow your industry trends
• Do not overcrowd the skills and competencies
• Focus on your strength areas

This blog was first published on the Resumod Blog. If you liked our content, do share it with your friends.

Try Resumod's professional Resume builder now!

100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

When you’re adding skills to a resume, you don’t just want to focus on what you’re good at. Instead, relevancy has to be part of the equation. After all, every job you’re trying to land requires a very specific skill set, one that you need to show that you have.

Choosing the skills to put on a resume when you’re applying to a role isn’t something you should do haphazardly. Instead, you want to use the job description, company mission, and company values as a guide, creating a sense of alignment.

Additionally, it never hurts to have a handy list of skills by your side, making it easier to explore your options. So, if you’re on the hunt for good skills to put on a resume, here’s what you need to know.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

There are two basic types of skillsets that a job seeker can have and include on their resume: hard skills or soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills or abilities for a resume that are easily quantifiable…that can be learned through classroom work, apprenticeships, or other forms of learning. These include things like operating tools, computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or different kinds of technical prowess.

Soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills.” Some examples of soft skills include communication, relationship building, self-awareness, and patience.

Which Skills Are More Important?

The debate rages on about which of these two types of skills is more important.

According to executive consultant and Forbes contributor Naz Beheshti , “…There is an ongoing debate about the relative importance of soft and hard skills that imply a competition between the two. However, they are both necessary and complementary to one another.”

On the one hand, job seekers with proficiency in a specific hard skill may get hired more quickly. Many employers want to hire people that can deliver value with fewer resources (ex., the need for training, etc.), making hard skills their priority.

However, we are also seeing that many hiring managers are choosing to hire candidates with highly developed soft skills.

In the end, as Indeed puts it, “soft skills are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment.” Plus, hiring managers feel that they can always train the candidate in the hard skill that is required to complete the job, but soft skills are often skills that cannot necessarily be taught.

So, what does this mean for you? Mainly that you can’t simply just pick one or the other and cross your fingers. Instead, the best strategy is to take a balanced approach and make sure that your resume contains both hard and soft skills.

How Do You Choose the Skills to List on a Resume?

Here’s the deal; there’s a good chance you know what you’re good at in a professional sense. Often, you can use your experience, duties, training, and education as a guide, giving you a strong foundation. Then, it’s about diving a bit deeper, looking at traits that could help you stand out, and comparing it all to the job description.

By using a simple process, you can make progress faster. Here’s a quick way to get started.

1. Make a List of the Skills You Know You Have

As mentioned above, the easiest way to get a grip on your current skills is to reflect on your academic and professional experiences. Consider the tasks you’ve taken on, the training you’ve completed, and the courses you had in school. In most cases, that’ll give you some solid ideas about your hard skills.

After that, it’s time for soft skills. Here, you want to think of traits or capabilities that help you engage with others and navigate professional relationships. Often, these are reflections of your personality, so use that as a jumping-off point.

2. “Mine” the Job Descriptions for Must-Have Skills

The next step is to take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills it includes. Then, compare it to your capabilities. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now, notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. There are things you can do, which we’ll dig into shortly.

If you’re dealing with a vague job description, you aren’t stuck either. Here is a link to a ton of job descriptions that can give you an idea of the skills needed.

3. Tailor Your Skills to the Company/Position

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your resume to the company and position you want to land. For an in-depth look into how to make that happen, check out our Tailoring Method article. 

If you want a quick overview, the idea is to focus on capabilities the company wants to find. Every job requires a unique skill set, and you want to show you have it. As a result, it is absolutely essential that skills from the job description make an appearance on your resume.

However, you also want to dig deeper. Spend some more time researching the company, including going through all of their various web properties, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Why? Because they will leave clues about the types of people they hire. That gives you more ideas about the best skills to put on a resume to land a job there, particularly when it comes to soft skills you may not find in a job description.

100 Resume Skills Examples

If you’re struggling with coming up with a list of skills based on your past experience, it can be easier if you have existing resume skills lists to work with. You don’t have to think up every possible skill; you can simply review the list and find the matches.

Here is a list of resume skills examples, divided into hard skills and soft skills, that you can use when applying for a job.

Hard Skills for a Resume

• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Appointment Setting
• Automotive Repair
• Cold Calling
• Computer Programming
• Conversion Testing
• Copywriting
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Service
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Cleanup
• Forklift Operating
• Graphic Design
• Heavy Machinery Operation
• Installation
• Landscaping
• Mathematics
• Medical Coding
• Paid Online Traffic
• Patient Care
• Photo Editing
• Picking and Packing
• Project Management
• Schedule Management
• Search Engine Optimization
• Server Maintenance
• Social Media
• Spanish Fluency
• Statistical Analysis
• Systems Analysis
• Technical Support
• Telecommunications Systems
• Travel Booking
• Video Editing
• Website Design
• Word Processing

Soft Skills for a Resume

• Accountability
• Active Listening
• Adaptability
• Brainstorming
• Business Etiquette
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Contextualizing
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Emotional Intelligence
• Flexibility
• Goal-Setting
• Handling Pressure
• Influencing
• Insightfulness
• Interpreting
• Negotiation
• Open-Mindedness
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building
• Reliability
• Resource Management
• Responsibility
• Self-Confidence
• Strategical Thinking
• Strong Work Ethic
• Time Management

What If I Don’t Have the Required Skill?

Whether you need to possess a specific skill depends on the job and the skill in question. Usually, here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

However, you will come across situations where what you bring to the table is close. In this case, moving forward might be okay.

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill, even if you haven’t specially done it. So, go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing something in the right ballpark.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it, and everything will be fine.

Also, many job descriptions have “nice-to-have” skills on the list. If you happen to possess them, great. But if not, don’t assume you shouldn’t apply if you have the must-have skills. In the end, those capabilities aren’t outright requirements, so don’t screen yourself out based on them.

How To List Skills on a Resume

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put (or how to list) the skills on your resume.

According to our friends over at online resume-builder Zety.com , “…skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section.” In other words, it is imperative that there are elements of your skills throughout your resume, including your resume objective/summary and experience sections.

In addition, there isn’t one right answer for where to include your skill section because that depends on the industry, company, and position you’re trying to land. For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience. Then, put the skills section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves is the most important thing. After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

What About Skills for My Job Application?

When you’re looking for skills to put on a job application, you do have to treat it a little differently than skills for a resume. Usually, you’re working with a finite amount of space on an application, not just in an overall sense but in each applicable section.

Since that’s the case, you need to lean heavily on the job description. Look for any capabilities that are listed as must-haves or that are repeated through the job ad. Then, make sure those skills are featured prominently in several areas, including in work history descriptions and skills areas.

If you have to answer essay questions, discuss those skills there, too, whenever possible. Use any other relevant capability as a supplement, treating it as supporting information instead of the primary point you’re sharing.

However, if an essay question asks about a skill that’s not in the job description, feel free to dig in a bit. It’s a capability that’s clearly on the hiring manager’s mind, so touch on it occasionally to show you shine in that area.

Putting It All Together

If you were wondering, “What are some good skills to put on a resume?” you should now have a solid answer. The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for and, more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

• Our Products
• Case Studies
• Interview Questions
• Jobs Articles
• Members Login

How To Start a Resume in 10 Easy Steps [Beginner’s Guide]

Sometimes, there’s nothing scarier than a blank page waiting to be filled - especially when it comes to figuring out how to start a resume. 

For every position that you apply for, you will need to stand out in a pile of applications through your professional experience, achievements, and education, to impress recruiters. 

Just thinking about all this may make starting your resume seem like a Herculean task. 

This is exactly why we’ve compiled this article.

• #1. Create Your Resume Outline
• #2. Fix Up The Formatting
• #3. Pick The Right Resume Format
• #4. Start Your Resume Contents With a Contact Information Section
• #5. Pick Between Resume Objective or Summary
• #6. List Your Past Work Experience
• #7. Move On To The Education Section
• #8. Spice Up Your Resume With Your Skills
• #9. Add These Optional Sections 
• #10. Start Applying 

Step #1. Create Your Resume Outline

So, how to start a resume? 

Deciding what to include and what to leave out when you start to write a resume can be tough, whether you’re a professional or a beginner. 

As a professional, you might struggle to choose among achievements and skills to include in your resume. Whereas as a beginner you might have issues filling up the gaps due to lack of work experience. 

Either way, figuring out what exactly to include when you start your resume isn’t easy.

That’s why we recommend starting your resume by creating a job-winning resume outline . A resume outline will help you by providing a clearly defined structure you can follow when you start to write your resume. 

The resume outline makes the process a lot easier by helping you decide on: 

• What resume format to use
• Which resume sections to include
• What information to select

Each of these elements will help you start your resume exactly according to your profile. For example, a professional with years of work experience would go for the reverse-chronological format, while a recent college graduate could opt for the skills-based resume format. 

Once you have decided on the format, knowing which sections to use and what information to select becomes considerably easier. 

A typical resume’s sections include:

• A contact information section 
• A resume summary or objective 
• Work, and relevant experience 
• Skill and certifications
• And additional sections - if you have space.

We will be going through all the main resume formats, sections, and other relevant information in detail below but first, rejoice - your resume skeleton is ready and you can now start writing your resume! 

Step #2. Fix Up The Formatting 

Before we jump into the technicalities, let’s talk style and appearance! 

Yes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but when it comes to resumes, sloppy-looking formatting can put you into a make-it-or-break-it kind of situation. The recruiter won’t be too at fault to think you won’t be suitable for the job if you haven’t taken the effort to adjust the margins or choose the best font for your resume. 

Not gonna lie - using a basic text editor to format your resume can be a hassle. One minor slip-up can make all the hours of hard work you invested in perfectly formatting your resume disappear in the blink of an eye.  

Well, there’s a solution for that too - using resume builders, such as Novorésumé. An online resume builder will completely take care of formatting your resume, thus making the process of starting a resume crazy fast. 

Step #3: Pick The Right Resume Format

There are three types of resume formats to choose from, and your choice will heavily depend on your level of experience and the type of industry you are applying for. 

That’s exactly why this step is particularly important when you start writing the resume. 

The three resume formats are: 

• Reverse Chronological resume format ; this is the most popular format among recruiters and the best fit for those who have a great deal of work experience - especially when it fits the job description you are applying for.
• Functional/skill-based resume format ; you should start writing your resume following this format if you are a student or recent graduate lacking any work experience , or if you are going through a career change and your previous working experiences are not relevant to the position.
• Combination resume format ; Do you have diverse skills or are you applying for a job that requires multi-expertise? The combination resume format is your chance to show that! A position as a Communications Expert, for example, might require you to be skilled in writing, social media, and public relations.

Out of the three, we suggest you choose the reverse-chronological resume format as the most common one among recruiters and HR managers. Nonetheless, what format you choose will eventually come down to your profile and experience. 

Due to its popularity, this article focuses on the reverse-chronological resume format. If you wish to go more in-depth into all three resume formats , follow the link! 

Step #4. Start Your Resume Contents With a Contact Information Section

This section may sound like a no-brainer, but you must get it right. Imagine being one of the HR manager’s top choices and missing out on your chance due to a spelling mistake in your email. 

For this reason, you must double-check that all the contact information you provide is correct and up-to-date. 

Now, the contact information section contains mandatory elements and optional ones. Here’s a snapshot: 

• First name/Last name
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Professional Title (it can be either your current or desired professional title/position)
• Date of birth (unless it is specifically required)
• Unprofessional email address (you know what we mean...any nicknames, wordplay, or variants that don’t include your first and last name are considered unprofessional and will cost you points in the eyes of the recruiter) 
• Headshot (in USA, UK & Ireland)

Optional elements:  

• LinkedIn Link/ Social Media (if these are up-to-date and add value to your application, there is no harm in including them in your contact information) 

Step #5. Pick Between Resume Objective or Summary

It’s science-backed: your CV has about 7 seconds to get a recruiter’s attention. This means that you better make a good first impression, and you better make it fast. 

This is where the resume summary, or objective, comes in handy. Placed at the top of your resume, close to the contact information section, a well-crafted resume objective/summary can work miracles in grabbing the HR agent’s attention for more than 7 seconds. 

The picture below is a good example:

But where does a resume summary differ from an objective, and when to use each? 

A resume summary is a short (2-3 sentences) overview of your career so far. The summary is used in 90% of resumes, except for students, recent graduates, or those switching careers. Here’s what you would need to mention: 

• Job and years of experience.
• One or two achievements. 
• Goal or passion for choosing this specific position.

And here’s an example of what this would look like on your resume: 

• Sports journalist with +10 years of experience in covering international tournaments. Successfully covered the 2004 Athens Olympics and the UEFA Euro 2016. Looking to expand my knowledge as a sports correspondent by reporting on a wider range of athletic activities.  

A resume objective , on the other hand, represents the goal of your resume. Through the objective, you can explain what motivates you to get into the field, as well as what you can offer. As mentioned above, the resume objective is perfect for those with little work experience or those who are changing careers. To compile it, we suggest using the following formula when you start writing your resume:

• Skill, education, or certification that is relevant to the position.
• Years/months of relevant experience for the position at the company.
• Types of responsibilities you will be able to help with.  

Here’s a concrete example for a recent graduate’s resume: 

• Motivated graduate with a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Greenwich seeking an opportunity to engage in academic political research. 1-year internship at the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Public Diplomacy Department. Looking to expand my knowledge of international relations and practically assist with research, at the Centre for Defense and International Security Studies think-tank.

Step #6. List Your Past Work Experience

Listing your work experience is practically the most important part of a resume and mastering this section means you will be able to ‘sell’ yourself - your experiences, responsibilities, and achievements - in the most HR-friendly manner. 

Not sure how to do that? Several practices will help your resume stand out, but first, let’s go over the basics of the work experience section. 

The typical work experience section format goes like this:

• Job Title/Position - it serves the purpose of showing the recruiter evaluating your resume that you have previous experience.
• Company/Location/Description - give information about your previous/current employer, the place where you worked, and potentially a brief description of the company (if it is not well-known).  
• Achievements and Responsibilities - this is your chance to shine by showcasing your strengths and skills. As a rule of thumb, it is better to list achievements over responsibilities.
• Dates Employed - this is the time you spent working for each company. The Applicant Tracking System recognizes the mm/yyyy format, so we advise that you follow it.  

And here’s how that would look like in your resume: 

And remember: work experiences should always be listed in reverse-chronological order; start with the most recent one and go all the way back to the past - well, depending on your level of experience. 

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips on how to take your work experience to the next level in the eyes of the HR manager. 

List Achievements Over Responsibilities

Focus on showing the recruiter your achievements over your responsibilities, whenever you can. Here’s what that means. 

HR managers will probably have a general idea of the responsibilities you had in your past positions. If you were a sales manager, for example, some of your responsibilities probably were: 

• Reach out to potential clients and maintain relations with existing ones
• Track and report on leads on Customer Relationship Manager. 

Thing is, you don’t want your work experience section to look like any other ex-sale manager’s resume, but the fact is the majority of work responsibilities are similar, if not the same. 

So, instead, what you do to impress is list your achievements, which in this case would be to show how you helped the company grow, among others. 

• Generated $25,000 in sales for the company during my first month. 
• Exceeded company sales KPIs by 40% for six consecutive months. 
• Reached out to potential clients by email
• Tracked leads on CRM 

Of course, some jobs don’t provide many ways to distinguish yourself, and so there might not be that many achievements for you to mention. If, say, you worked in a supermarket, your day to day responsibilities probably involved: 

• Categorizing and packing products into shelves 
• Helping customers find products 
• Attaching price tags and description tags 

In cases like this, sticking to your responsibilities is fine. 

Tailor Your Resume to the Job 

So, there’s another thing standing between you and the recruiter - the Applicant Tracking System. The ATS helps companies scan through all the resumes they receive daily. So this is another thing to consider getting out of the way right as you start writing your resume. 

If you’re now thinking there’s no point in perfecting your resume if a software is going to evaluate it, we do have some good news: there are ways to pass the ATS if you tailor your work experience section to the job requirements. 

Let’s cover an example from a job ad as an Operations Assistant at the UN Women Organization, with the following requirements: 

• At least 3 years of experience in administration, finance, procurement, etc. 
• Experience in (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
• Fluency in English 
• Strong IT and web management skills 

If you have the required skills and experience, mention them in your resume and consider your resume tailored for the job. 

How Much Work Experience is Necessary? 

We mentioned this before - knowing what information to keep and what to leave out might be tricky. And considering the work experience section is the most important, getting this right matters. 

Well, the amount of information you mention will go hand in hand with your level of experience. So: 

Entry-level candidates should list all the work experiences up to the point of application. 

Mid-level professionals should only list work experience relevant to the position. 

Senior professionals should list a MAXIMUM of 15 years of relevant work experience. 

Step #7. Move On to the Education Section

Your resume's education section comes second per its importance. 

As with the other steps, let’s go over the basics of formatting and then some tips on how to make the best out of your academic skills. 

• Program Name: E.g. “B.A. in Computer Science”
• University Name: E.g. “University of Colorado”
• Period Attended: E.g. “08/1212 - 05/2016”
• (Optional) GPA: E.g. “3.8 GPA”
• (Optional) Honors: E.g. “Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude
• (Optional) Academic Achievements: E.g. Any publications you may have, or courses you have excelled in. 
• (Optional) Minor: E.g. “Minor in Information Systems” 

Here is an example: 

Step #8. Spice Up Your Resume With Your Skills

The ‘skills’ section is your chance to spice things up by showing the HR manager any additional advantage you may have that makes you perfect for the job. 

There are two types of skills you can list on your resume: 

Hard skills , or measurable abilities. These can range from coding in C++ to being an excellent Italian cuisine chef. 

Soft skills , or personal skills. These can be personality traits and social traits, career attributes, or communication skills. 

How to List Skills in Your Resume 

These are the top three steps to follow when listing skills in your resume : 

Step #1: Hard skills are measured with experience levels, meaning you want to mention your proficiency level for every hard skill you list. They are usually categorized into Beginner , Intermediate , Advanced and Expert levels . 

Step #2: Tailor your skills to your job. As with the work experience, try to tailor your skills in relevance to the position. A way to do this is by checking some of the must-have skills listed in the job ad and make sure to mention each and every skill for which you are qualified, with its relevant proficiency level. 

Step #3: Don’t forget to include some “universal” skills - namely, skills relevant to any kind of job out there. These can include both soft skills (leadership, teamwork, attention to detail) and hard skills (MS Office, Adobe Pack, etc). 

Take a look at how hard and soft skills are listed through the Novoresume online resume builder: 

Step #9. Add These Optional Sections

So far, we have basically covered all resume must-haves. 

The following optional sections won’t be a priority when you start to write your resume, however, they can turn out to be the cherry on top if you have them and if you have the space to list them. 

Here are some of them: 

Languages: The more, the merrier. If you speak two or more languages, don’t fail to put that in your resume. To list them, simply categorize your proficiency level into native , fluent , proficient , intermediate , or basic . 

Hobbies & Interests: Although more personal than the rest of the sections, it doesn’t hurt to show a bit of your personality if you have the additional space in your resume. With a bit of luck, you and the recruiter may even share a hobby .

Volunteering Experience: Studies show that volunteering experience actually raises your chances of getting hired . In addition to showing that you are an individual motivated by more than just money, volunteering experience can be particularly great if you have recently graduated and have otherwise little work experience, or if you have an employment gap. 

Certification & Awards: If you have awards that make you stand out in your field or certifications from experts and if they are relevant to your position, don’t hesitate to show them off! For example, if you’re an architect prized with the Global Award for Development Architecture - well, that’s definitely something you want to include in your resume. 

Step #10. Start Applying!

And just like that, we can officially congratulate you for successfully starting - and finishing - your resume.

Chances are, if you got these tips right, you will land any job you go for. So go ahead and start applying!  

Key Takeaways 

That’s a wrap! Here’s the brief version of what we covered in this article:

• Before starting your resume, create an outline. It will provide you a skeleton to make the process of filling up each section much easier! 
• A typical resume’s sections include a contact information section , a resume summary or objective , work and relevant experience , education , skills , and additional sections - if you have space.
• If possible, use the reverse-chronological order resume format. That is unless you’re a recent graduate or an entry-level professional - in that case, the functional or skill-based formats might be a better fit for you. 
• Your past work experience should also start with your latest job, while the education section with the latest education entry. As a rule of thumb, start with your latest relevant experiences and go back as far as it’s relevant to the recruiter and the position you are applying for! 

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

More From Forbes

5 good work skills for leaders to include in their resume in 2024.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

While all leadership skills are essential, some are more critical to job search and career success ... [+] than others, therefore this weighting should reflect you in your resume

How exactly does one select the most essential and mission-critical work skills to include in a resume for a leadership position?

Being a leader or manager is a tall order, and identifying the most appropriate and essential skills to showcase throughout one's resume when applying for a managerial or leadership role is perhaps the most difficult decision to make in your job search. This is because you will need to know what's important to include, and what can be omitted and better discussed at the interview stage. So it's a careful balancing act.

Now of course, you should always include the core competencies listed in the job advert, so that your resume passes through ATS (applicant tracking systems that recruiters use to sift out resumes) and demonstrates that you are a matching candidate based on the keywords.

However, if you are planning on eliminating any extra skills from your master resume copy, be certain that you do not remove any evidence or mention of the following work skills:

1. Analytical Decision-Making

Analytical skills are the backbone of confident decision making as a leader, and is number two in the World Economic Forum's list of "skills on the rise" in their Future of Jobs 2023 report , with almost 72% of organizations considering it of high importance when evaluating new hires.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

When you make a decision, and have the data to create the rationale underpinning it, this inspires your employer, team, and stakeholders with confidence and trust that you know what you're doing and are acting in the best interest of your organization and industry.

Reflect on examples of times when you have used your analysis of data to inform conclusions or decisions within your role, and ask yourself, What was the quantifiable impact of this in the long term? Scatter examples of where you've demonstrated analytical decision-making skills throughout your resume.

2. Communication Skills

Every professional needs to have good communication skills to cope with a range of environments, as we interact and engage with people within the constraints of our roles every day, though some may need to improve their communication skills to a greater or less degree.

As a leader, it's even more imperative to ensure your communication skills are above par, and that this is listed as a skill in your resume. Additionally, be intentional about incorporating examples of where you've demonstrated exceptional communication and its impact throughout your professional profile and work experience sections.

For instance, a good way to talk about your communication skills would be to relate how you are adept at adapting your communication style to the individual, at all levels of an organization. You can also mention how you are a clear and confident communicator, or how you motivate and coach your team within your one-to-one performance reviews, or how you chair weekly meetings.

These are just a few examples of how you can showcase communication in your resume.

3. Performance Coaching And Team Management

As workplaces evolve, so are leadership styles. There is a stronger focus on people-centered, morally-based leadership styles such as coaching, transformative leadership, and leading with emotional intelligence and empathy.

Any organization who is forward-thinking and seeking to achieve a cohesive company culture will be mindful of what leaders and managers they bring in from external sources, and how they can affect the workplace dynamics. This means you will need to ensure that your skills and experience sections highlight your dominant leadership style(s), and includes phrases such as "coaching" and "boosted morale and performance by X%".

4. Technology

It's not merely soft or "power" skills and leadership qualities that need to be included. You need to make mention of any technology or software that you are familiar with, or have a working knowledge of. It might be hard to do this initially, beyond the commonly used Microsoft Office suite perhaps, so allocate some quiet time to list in detail every software tool you've used at work—which you probably take for granted.

And don't forget to take advantage of this opportunity to highlight if you have any AI skills or knowledge, particularly with generative AI applications. Organizations are beginning to prioritize up-skilling their workers this year with understanding how to apply artificial intelligence, so any existing knowledge and experience you may bring will be helpful and enable you to stand out in your job application.

5. Adaptability

Last but not least, you need to include adaptability and resilience as a skill in your resume for a leadership or management role.

This skill, which was named LinkedIn's top "skill of the moment" for 2024, means that you are able to adjust to change and risk, and lead your team and organization to navigate these challenges effectively.

Data analysis build trust in you as a leader and helps you feel confident in your decision-making

All five of these skills are non-negotiables for your resume and job application. But it's essential to remember to not slip into the trap of copying and pasting them verbatim and assuming the job is done. You need to not only list these skills in your skills highlights section, but you should take it a step further and give context to each skill, proving your leadership potential and philosophy to attract your next employer and persuade them to call you for an interview.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

For enquiries call:

+1-469-442-0620

• Programming

Java Developer Resume for 2024 [Templates & Samples]

Home Blog Programming Java Developer Resume for 2024 [Templates & Samples]

In my experience, the software development landscape continues to sprawl with newer technologies, programming languages, and frameworks. However, one thing that has consistently been fundamental to the process is Java. The cross-platform flexibility I’ve had when working with Java is unparalleled. 

If you’re interested in software development, familiarity with Java is a non-negotiable aspect. Plus, it’s an excellent way to commence your software journey. However, to become a Java developer, you must get certified and complete a Java certification course . Once you have the relevant skills, you can apply for a Java developer’s role.

Based on my experience as someone who started from scratch in Java development, I have created this guide to help you through the process of applying for a Java developer’s role. Besides education and skills, an effective Java developer resume helped me land a modest role. So, let me help you create a high-performing Java developer resume. 

Java Developer Resume: Overview

Gaining knowledge and skills in Java is not going to cut it. Once you have the relevant qualifications, the way you present yourself and let the employers know of your expertise, you won’t get a good job. Read the sections below to see how to create a good Java developer resume. 

Resume Format - Java Developer

A neatly and concisely created resume suits all jobs, whether a Java developer, software engineer , or any other role in any industry. However, an effective Java software developer’s resume contains all the necessary information and relevant qualifications, skills, and experience.

Below are some key points to remember while creating your Java web developer resume.

A. Create a Solid Java Developer Resume Structure/Template

Like any other job resume, you must stick to a proper structure while creating your Java lead developer resume. An effective resume contains all basic information like contact number, email address, work experience, roles and responsibilities, hard and soft skills, accomplishments, certifications, additional courses/diplomas, etc. 

B. Work Experience Section

This section is one of the most important ones. Often, it follows your professional job summary/objective. In this section, you must include all relevant work experiences in Java. Start from the most recent job and then trace your experiences back. Be concise while explaining your role, responsibilities, skills used, and accomplishments for each position. 

Below is an example experience section in the Java developer resume sample.

Stick to this format: job title - employer’s details, your employment duration, and your key responsibilities there. 

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Entry-level Java developers often lack prior work experience, which is very common. Fortunately, even employers understand that a Java developer resume for freshers will not carry much experience. If you are new to the field, you can rely on training programs, internships, or other additional courses to prove your practical knowledge. 

Here is an example.

C. Contact information

Your Java developer profile summary must have the correct personal information. This includes your full name, email address, and contact phone number. Feel free to mention your residential address and any relevant social profile, such as LinkedIn (if you have any).

Below is how you can add your contact information.

D. Add your education

Your educational background is a necessary criterion. For a Java developer’s role, recruiters often select candidates with a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree. This, coupled with some additional developer courses, training, or work experience, makes it easier for the recruiters to shortlist your Java developer resume summary.

Below is an example.

Tip:  Start with your latest educational qualification/credential. Add your degree, educational institute, and address in one line. 

E. Include Java developer skills tailored to the job

Recruiters often skim through resumes or utilize technologies to shortlist resumes with certain job-specific keywords. These keywords could be your key skills, preferred age group, years of experience, or anything else. Using such keywords/key skills can improve your chances of being shortlisted for the next rounds of interviews. 

Below is an example of some Java developer resume skills.

F. How do you craft an effective Java resume summary?

Your professional summary is a crucial element of your Java lead developer resume. This section highlights your most relevant qualifications and puts you in a better position to be selected. That said, do not add unnecessary information or irrelevant details, like your achievements in school or some other work experience out of Java-based development. Try framing it within 3-4 sentences and include as much of your education, skills, and experience as possible. You can also mention additional credentials, like some online Programming certification you gained. Stick to the point, and you will have a high-performing job summary.

Here is a Java developer job summary example to give you an idea.

G. Use action words to strengthen your resume

Action words break your resume’s monotony and add more impact to it. These words can draw recruiters’ attention and showcase your skills proactively. Words like coordinated, developed, strategized, stimulated, steered, streamlined, etc. can point to your achievements in previous jobs. They show how you have already been a successful Java developer.

H. Add extra sections to your resume

We have covered all basic sections of your Java developer job summary. However, some additional sections can improve your resume. Sections like “Awards and Certifications,” “Interests,” and “Languages Known” can add an edge to your candidature. With such information, recruiters can paint a holistic picture of your personality and see how well you can fit the organization culturally. 

I. Write a Java Developer Cover Letter

A cover letter is a persuasive piece of writing that conveys your proficiency and professionalism to the employer. Consider it a business letter conveying your intention to work in the organization and highlighting your relevant skills, education, and qualifications. When written correctly, it can help improve your chances of being selected. 

Here is an example of an effective cover letter for a Java developer. 

As you can see in the sample above, be precise about the heading and mention it in the subject. Begin with the objective of writing this letter and then introduce yourself - your name, job title, and other information.

Next, get into the details of your roles and responsibilities in previous jobs to let the reader know of your capabilities and how you will fit into their organization. Demonstrate all necessary skills, credentials, and competencies to improve your chances of getting shortlisted for an interview. 

Sign off on a hopeful note of hearing back from them. 

Best Practices to Make Your Resume Easy to Scan

If your resume is not scannable and hence not shortlisted, it won’t matter if you are a good fit or skilled at your job. This is why including keywords, all basic sections, and providing a structure is necessary to make your resume stand out and exhibit clarity. We have compiled a table of Do’s and Don’ts to help you create a Java developer resume that’s easy to scan. So, follow the tips and create a better-performing resume.

Java Developer Resume Examples /Samples

We have added some example Java developer resumes in this section. 

1. Intern Java Developer Resume Sample

2. Entry-level Java Developer Resume Sample

3. Mid-level Java Developer Resume Example

4. Experienced Java Developer Resume Example

Tips to Make Your Java Developer Resume Format

Here are a few tips to ensure your Java developer resume is clear and concise.

• Follow a reverse chronological order. It is the most widely used format, and recruiters appreciate its clarity, starting from your recent job, education, etc. 
• A functional resume will be a better option if you are new to the field, a self-taught Java developer, or lack much experience. 
• One-inch page margins,
• A normally sized (11-12 pt) professional font,
• 1.0 or 1.5 line spacing,
• Try winding your resume within a page.

Top 10 Skills for a Java Developer Resume

• Java : This programming language is widely used to build software for the web, mobile applications, desktops, etc. Technologies like Java Swing are fundamental to creating personalized user interfaces and distributed architectures. 
• HTML : It involves front-end navigation, page building, and templates. HTML, along with CSS and JavaScript, is widely used for client-side validations, making it a vital component.
• CSS : This language is also used in client-side validations to get real-time updates across different browsers and devices. 
• MVC Framework : Model-View-Controller or MVC is a design pattern Java developers use to work on user interfaces, data processing, and applications. 
• XML : Java developers often use the JDBC module to convert data volumes from databases like Oracle/SQL into XML format for storage and exchange.
• JQuery : Drop-down menus, visual display elements, user menus, etc., are rich and intuitive elements built using JQuery. 
• Databases : Java developers require proficiency in database management, specifically Oracle or SQL databases, to interact with data stores and convert it into XML or other readable formats
• Collaboration : Teamwork and collaborative decision-making strengthen professional relationships, which is important for employers because employees often work in groups rather than alone.
• Problem-solving : Identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement is crucial for building user interfaces, and a proficient Java developer must also know how to overcome these issues. 
• Time Management: A successful Java developer requires proficiency in task prioritization, execution, delegation, and management. They must efficiently determine task duration and delegate tasks to team members for timely completion.

Creating a clear and concise Java developer resume is fundamental to standing out, especially in this growing field. Regardless of your experience in this industry, you must clearly state all your educational qualifications, skill training, and courses to let the employers know of your fitness for the role. 

If you are new and still seeking ways to enhance your Java developer skills before applying for a job, enrolling in the KnowledgeHut Java certification course can be a great place to start. You will get hands-on experience in Java programming and know what your work will look like.

Frequently Asked Questions

The ideal length of a Java developer resume is 1-2 pages. However, stick to a single page if you do not have more than 4 years of experience.

A Java developer resume must have the following essential elements:

• Educational background,
• Work experiences,
• Key Java developer skills.

You can also include additional sections like Achievements, Languages, etc.

To create maximum impact, follow these tips:

• Utilize a reverse chronological order. It is the most widely used format, and recruiters appreciate its clarity, starting from your recent job, education, etc. 
• A functional resume will be a better option if you are new to the field, a self-taught Java developer, or lack much experience.
• Follow a basic format:
•  One-inch page margins
• A normally sized (11-12 pt) professional font
• 1.0 or 1.5 line spacing
• Try winding your resume within a page

Ramulu Enugurthi

Ramulu Enugurthi, a distinguished computer science expert with an M.Tech from IIT Madras, brings over 15 years of software development excellence. Their versatile career spans gaming, fintech, e-commerce, fashion commerce, mobility, and edtech, showcasing adaptability in multifaceted domains. Proficient in building distributed and microservices architectures, Ramulu is renowned for tackling modern tech challenges innovatively. Beyond technical prowess, he is a mentor, sharing invaluable insights with the next generation of developers. Ramulu's journey of growth, innovation, and unwavering commitment to excellence continues to inspire aspiring technologists.

Avail your free 1:1 mentorship session.

Something went wrong

Upcoming Programming Batches & Dates